Airmiles and credit cards

learningmoreandmore

Am buying airline tickets to NZ and have to use a credit card. Is there any point getting a credit card that specially collects airmiles when I use it. Or what is the best card to use with points that I can collect and maybe convert. I see that the Tesco credit card is a v good choice?

Thanks for any help.

thebritishbloke

Not at all. In order to earn enough miles to upgrade your trip will take a hell of a big spend (£10k+).

I'd get some form of cashback card, whether that be an American Express, Tesco ClubCard etc. Pick whatever suits you best and you can get accepted for.

Might be worth trying the MSE Eligibility Checker.

blindman

learningmoreandmore wrote: »

Am buying airline tickets to NZ and have to use a credit card. Is there any point getting a credit card that specially collects airmiles when I use it. Or what is the best card to use with points that I can collect and maybe convert. I see that the Tesco credit card is a v good choice?

Thanks for any help.

TBHO if you have no Frequent flyer miles at the moment it's possibly best to get a cashback card.

Even if you get a card earning a lot of miles (Amex Charge Gold card) then you still have to earn a fair bit to get even close to using them for flights.

Then there's the problem of actual availabilty of the rewards :cool:

Look at Headforpoints credit card update for ideas about FF and hotel points

Stephen_C.

More miles can be earned through a sign up bonus, such as that on the Amex Gold Card, which offers 20,000 (22,000 when referred) Avios/Virgin/AA and more miles when spending £2000 in the first three months.

Average ongoing earning on UK cards will be from 0.5 miles per £ to 2 miles per £. For some, an ongoing cashback rate of 1.25% is more appealing.

As above, HFP is the best resource to get into this.

InsideInsurance

Also, what class of travel do you want to be going?

Airmiles are very good for upgrading to Business/ First etc but poor value for buying economy tickets from the UK due to our high taxes/ fuel suppliments etc which you still pay on a "free flight".

If you are happy to pay for Economy and use points to upgrade then you can go for it but as others have said, you'll need to spend a lot to get many upgrades outside of any introductory bonus. If you dont value flying higher classes then get a cashback card or other benefit

LeDe_2

learningmoreandmore wrote: »

Am buying airline tickets to NZ and have to use a credit card. Is there any point getting a credit card that specially collects airmiles when I use it. Or what is the best card to use with points that I can collect and maybe convert. I see that the Tesco credit card is a v good choice?

Thanks for any help.

Personally I would get a hotel card (Starwood or Hilton) rather than an airline card, hotel points are more valuable than airline miles in my opinion and with Starwood if you stay enough times you can work your way to lifetime platinum

If you were to go for an airline card, Etihad would be one of the best free cards to go with but Avios (BA) cards are easier to come across and build up points quickly through spend and flights although if all your European flights are with Airberlin (as mine are), you can gain miles and status with Etihad rather quickly too.

I'd suggest that you either go for a Middle Eastern airline (only Emirates and Etihad offer credit cards in UK) as it would appear that Dubai's Emirates is leading the way for long haul flights while European airlines are becoming lacklustre.

Only issue with picking and sticking to an ME airline card is that it's harder to take flights Westwards, as Emirates won't let me connect at DXB from LHR - JFK/LAX for example, I need a separate ticket LHR - DXB then DXB - JFK/LAX, than it is flying Eastwards.

Do your research of cards (not Tesco) and find the airline and card that suits your future flying needs.

To help you out, I fly regularly to the ME and Asia, sometimes I fly to the US and within Europe I also fly a lot. Most of my flights Eastwards are on Emirates, within Europe I fly Airberlin exclusively and for US flights it's a toss up between Emirates and Etihad, depends on cost and scheduling. Airline credit card I posses? Emirates Elite with Starwood Preferred Guest AMEX as combined my travel needs are catered for.

At the end of the day, if you quality for status, you don't need an airline credit card as they pale in comparison to earnt status and a hotel card would be better for your needs.

Hope some of this helps

guesswho2000

LeDe wrote: »

Personally I would get a hotel card (Starwood or Hilton) rather than an airline card, hotel points are more valuable than airline miles in my opinion and with Starwood if you stay enough times you can work your way to lifetime platinum

If you were to go for an airline card, Etihad would be one of the best free cards to go with but Avios (BA) cards are easier to come across and build up points quickly through spend and flights although if all your European flights are with Airberlin (as mine are), you can gain miles and status with Etihad rather quickly too.

I'd suggest that you either go for a Middle Eastern airline (only Emirates and Etihad offer credit cards in UK) as it would appear that Dubai's Emirates is leading the way for long haul flights while European airlines are becoming lacklustre.

Only issue with picking and sticking to an ME airline card is that it's harder to take flights Westwards, as Emirates won't let me connect at DXB from LHR - JFK/LAX for example, I need a separate ticket LHR - DXB then DXB - JFK/LAX, than it is flying Eastwards.

Do your research of cards (not Tesco) and find the airline and card that suits your future flying needs.

To help you out, I fly regularly to the ME and Asia, sometimes I fly to the US and within Europe I also fly a lot. Most of my flights Eastwards are on Emirates, within Europe I fly Airberlin exclusively and for US flights it's a toss up between Emirates and Etihad, depends on cost and scheduling. Airline credit card I posses? Emirates Elite with Starwood Preferred Guest AMEX as combined my travel needs are catered for.

At the end of the day, if you quality for status, you don't need an airline credit card as they pale in comparison to earnt status and a hotel card would be better for your needs.

Hope some of this helps

Sticking with a ME airline (or indeed any airline) depends on whether you fly where that airline, or it's partners, flies.

I disagree with hotel cards beating airline cards, especially the Hilton card (although the Hilton card is a gem for its sign up bonus). The SPG card is unusual, in that the points transfer 1:1 for airline miles in many programmes, but there is an annual fee.

If you can justify the annual fee, the Virgin Black card is good for both airlines and hotels - 2 points per pound on the Amex, which either build up for the flights or can be transferred in 10k blocks to IHG (1:1) or Hilton hhonors (2:3), which is unusual with airline miles and not a bad deal.

Personally? I have the American Airlines card (free) as AA is where I hold status, the Virgin Atlantic cards (Black (£140 per year) for the recent excellent sign up bonus and ongoing rate, as well as the White (free) for the sign up bonus), the Hilton card (for its sign up about a year ago which I haven't cancelled, I don't need the silver status, which isn't worth much, as I'm gold anyway), Marriott (purely for the sign up bonus) and the Tesco clubcard credit card to boost Avios/Virgin miles as necessary. The Tesco card is definitely worthwhile, especially for anyone who buys fuel there, as you get twice the points you otherwise would, regardless of how you pay.

End of the day, it depends on too many variables to speculate on OPs position, but https://www.headforpoints.com is a good starting point for any frequent (or infrequent) traveller looking to maximise rewards, or indeed anyone who just wants credit card rewards!

LeDe_2

guesswho2000 wrote: »

Sticking with a ME airline (or indeed any airline) depends on whether you fly where that airline, or it's partners, flies.

I disagree with hotel cards beating airline cards, especially the Hilton card (although the Hilton card is a gem for its sign up bonus). The SPG card is unusual, in that the points transfer 1:1 for airline miles in many programmes, but there is an annual fee.

If you can justify the annual fee, the Virgin Black card is good for both airlines and hotels - 2 points per pound on the Amex, which either build up for the flights or can be transferred in 10k blocks to IHG (1:1) or Hilton hhonors (2:3), which is unusual with airline miles and not a bad deal.

Personally? I have the American Airlines card (free) as AA is where I hold status, the Virgin Atlantic cards (Black (£140 per year) for the recent excellent sign up bonus and ongoing rate, as well as the White (free) for the sign up bonus), the Hilton card (for its sign up about a year ago which I haven't cancelled, I don't need the silver status, which isn't worth much, as I'm gold anyway), Marriott (purely for the sign up bonus) and the Tesco clubcard credit card to boost Avios/Virgin miles as necessary. The Tesco card is definitely worthwhile, especially for anyone who buys fuel there, as you get twice the points you otherwise would, regardless of how you pay.

For myself I'd sooner transit through AUH or DXB than fly with any European/US airline to the US, all ME airlines target Africa and Asia with ease, it's just slightly more difficult for US destinations but worth the hassle for a high standard of flying.

Why do you think that airline cards beat hotel cards? Hotels are more readily available to book than award flights, you need less points to get access to some great rooms and there are generally no surcharges.

While there is a fee with the Starwood card it's £75 which compared to VS Black at £140 makes it worth it, especially as VS is a terrible British airline along with BA and the transfer rates aren't that attractive.

If you're getting cards for the signup why aren't you cancelling them? Keep the AA, Tesco and VS Black but ditch the Hilton and Marriott.

While I only have the Emirates Elite CC (Skywards Gold) and Stardwood AMEX (Platinum status where I'm aiming for lifetime), I also hold Gold status with Etihad through Airberlin flights, Gold with Hilton and Silver with Sirius of which both are based on stays. I would say that hotel points are worth more than airline miles but then that's just me based on my usage.

guesswho2000

LeDe wrote: »

For myself I'd sooner transit through AUH or DXB than fly with any European/US airline to the US, all ME airlines target Africa and Asia with ease, it's just slightly more difficult for US destinations but worth the hassle for a high standard of flying.

Why do you think that airline cards beat hotel cards? Hotels are more readily available to book than award flights, you need less points to get access to some great rooms and there are generally no surcharges.

While there is a fee with the Starwood card it's £75 which compared to VS Black at £140 makes it worth it, especially as VS is a terrible British airline along with BA and the transfer rates aren't that attractive.

If you're getting cards for the signup why aren't you cancelling them? Keep the AA, Tesco and VS Black but ditch the Hilton and Marriott.

While I only have the Emirates Elite CC (Skywards Gold) and Stardwood AMEX (Platinum status where I'm aiming for lifetime), I also hold Gold status with Etihad through Airberlin flights, Gold with Hilton and Silver with Sirius of which both are based on stays. I would say that hotel points are worth more than airline miles but then that's just me based on my usage.

I agree with the standard of flying being better on those airlines - I don't mind BA, but American isn't that wonderful imho.

Ymmv when it comes to hotel vs airline cards, personally airline miles save me far more than hotel points do - for example, I use Avios on internal flights within Australia (and also have on those within South America) where relatively short flights with Qantas (and LAN in SA) are disproportionately expensive, but taxes are next to nothing. That said, I have also had some great savings using hotel points, so I'm not against those cards at all.

Not cancelling the Hilton card is down to laziness, but the Marriott card is relatively new. I have HH Gold (well worth it) and IHG Gold (not great, but ok), neither through credit cards, though if IHG relaunch their Black card, which presumably will still give Platinum status, it'd be one I keep, plus the earnings rate on the old card was good.